Parking meter cover



pril 27. 1965 G. D. GARVEY 3,180,473

PARKING METER COVER Filed June 26, 1963 INVENTbR flaw 5r ATTORNEYS- United States Patent 3,180,473 PARKING METER COVER George D. Garvey, 11 Boston Post Road, Waterford, Conn. Filed June 26, 1963, Ser. No. 29tl,6i 2 7 Claims. (Cl. 194-1) This invention relates to improvements in curbside municipal parking meters. More particularly, the present invention relates to a locking device and a no parking combination warning sign, movable from an inoperative informational and advertising position to an operative no parking and warning position covering the coin receiving slot of parking meters and the like devices to block the same and prevent use of the meter.

Although parking meters vary somewhat in design and style, they are essentially the same in operation and for this reason, the present invention is intended to be universally adaptable for mounting upon various types of parking meters and like devices.

In recent years, parking meters have come into widespread use as providing an additional source of revenue for municipalities, and as a means for controlling traffic flow and eliminating overtime parking. Municipalities having parking meters have found that at certain times however, such as during rush hour traffic, in emergency loading zones and at pedestrian crossings, during parades, during emergency maintenance work and other civic municipal, and commercial functions, it is desired or necessary to prohibit the use of, or parking in front of, parking meters in order to provide access to churches, schools, civic and commercial buildings, and cross walks, or to provide additional traific lanes, bus stop areas or uncluttered street areas. This has in the past been accomplished in many diverse ways since each city seems to use a different type of temporary and portable no parking cover on its meters for emergencies, and these devices include cardboard, plastic and wooden boxes, cardboard and paper signs, fabric and plastic bags, and the like. Such temporary devices require expense of transportation and labor to and from the area of use, are easy to counterfeit and pilfer, are flimsy and tend to weather and wear quickly, and generally are usable for no other purpose during storage or other non-use periods.

Aside from unsightliness and wear however, the known temporary no parking devices are primarily objectionable since they are not immediately available for emergency no parking purposes and valuable time must be expended in planning a system of use and in obtaining and installing them. These objectionable features are heightened by the common knowledge that every no parking situation is an emergency, and that municipal emergencies are often fraught with confusion.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to overcome the defects of such presently known temporary devices, and to provide an improved method of taking parking meters out of service.

it is another object of the present invention to provide a parking meter with an integrally associated cover that is movable from an operative no parking and warning position to an inoperative informational and advertising position.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when reference is had to the following specification and drawings.

The objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing parking meters with at least one cover portion that is permanently attached to each meter, is of sturdy metal construction, and durable, economical, instantly available, and tamperproof. The present invention also provides a foolproof lock for a meter taken out of service which is keyed for operation only by authorized persons. The faces of the cover portion can be used not only for traflic control information or safety slogans, but can be at least partially utilized as an advertising medium, creating an entirely new source of municipal revenue.

Construction of the meter cover of this invention is easily understood and best illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein two cover portions are secured by means of a suitable bolt, passing through suitable separating bushings, to the vertical support pipe upon which the meter itself is fastened. The cover portions are hinged to allow movement through a semi-circular arc of about degrees, permitting the reversing of each exterior cover face. In both upper or lower positions, the cover faces may be and preferably are locked by means of bolt and small padlock. Other details are obvious or will be supplied as the description. of the drawings proceeds.

FXGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a parking meter according to this invention with cover portions attached and positioned in a non-use or storage or inoperative informational and advertising position;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the parking meter cover portions locked in an operative no parking and warning position; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the device shown in FIGURE 2 with the parts in opened position to show constructional details.

Parking meters, such as the meter indicated generally at 19 in the drawings, may vary substantially in their specific form and design. Usually, however, such parking meters include a housing 12 which is mounted upon the upper extremity of a supporting post 14. In general, housing 12 usually has two distinct sides, one usually facing the sidewalk which is the manually operable side of the meter, and the other side normally forming the outer side having a window 116 which is designed to face toward the street and indicate how many minutes remain or whether the time has expired. Although one such outer facing window is shown in the present drawing, it is to be understood that both inner and outer sides may be provided with windows through which a meter dial, flag, and/or other device may be seen to indicate time remaining or whether time has elapsed. Similarly, known meters may be operated merely by inserting a coin in a slot 17, or by turning a crank 19, or both.

In the particular form of construction illustrated, the housing 1?. of meter lid is provided with a rounded upper surface which merges into generally parallel sides. 0bviously, however, meters may vary in shape and design, and some meters are produced which are substantially flat on top but which are connected by substantially rounded parallel sides. It must be understood, therefore, that the generic novel features of the present invention may be adapted to the contour of each form of known parking meter construction.

The cover device of the present invention comprises two principal reversible cover portions indicated generally by arrows at Zii and 3%, which cover portions, as shown in the drawings, are substantially flat and monoplanar, to provide faces 21 and 22, and 31 and 32 respectively. Cover portion 30 is also provided with an opening or substantially handle shaped aperture 33 to accommodate handle 19, and as shown in the drawings, coact in a locking manner therewith in instances where such handles are employed. Both cover portions are of elongated shape and are provided with lower and upper curved portions to essentially correspond with the shape of the meter shown. As explained above, other shape meters and cover portions are envisioned by the present invention, it also being understood that the shape 3, 1. of the cover portion may vary to some extent from the shape of the meter, so long as the several parts can be brought into operative association as shown in the drawangs.

The manner in which the cover portions are secured in place onmeter 12 and supporting post 14 is best illustrated inFIGURE 3 of the drawings where the several .parts are shown just prior to an assembling that will result in the locking combination shown in FIGURE 2. Cover portions 20 and 30 are each provided with hinges 46 and are secured together, and through holes 40 in supporting post 14 by means of a bolt 43 passing through separating or spacer bushings42 and secured by nut 44.

Rotational movement of cover portions and about bolt 43 as an axis is of course prevented by engagement ofopening 33 in cover portion 30 with handle 19 in the parking meter form shown, coacting with the connection of cover portions 20 and 30 through upper holes 24 and '34, by means of bolt 53 which passes through these holes 'vent rotational movement of cover port-ions aboutbolt 43 as an axis. Alternatively or additionally, a groove or .holemay be provided on the top of, or through meter housing 12 to prevent bolt 53 and cover portions 20 and .30 from being rotated away from looking engagement with'coin slot 17.

To prevent tampering and insure the safe storage of parts when the parking meter cover of the present invention is in an inoperative informational and advertising position, post 14 is also provided with lower hole 41. Thus, cover-portions 20 and 30 are retained and locked in the storage position by means of passing bolt 53 through holes 24 and 34 and hole 41 as shown in FIG- .URES 1 and'2.

--It is in movementof coverportions 20 and 30' from the operative no parking and warning position shown in FIGURE 2, tothe inoperative informational and adviertising position shown in FIGURE 1 and conversely, from the position shown in FIGURE 1 to that shown in FIGURE 2, that hinges 46 take on their true significance. Referring to FIGURE 1, lock 54 is unlocked with a suitable special key (not shown) and the lock is removed from hole 55 to permit bolt 53 to be removed (from holes 24, 41 and 34. Then the municipal employee or police ofiicer who has performed the unlocking operation may swing cover portions 20 and 30 to the upper position shown in FIGURE 2, by moving cover portions 20 and 30 perpendicularly away from parking meter supporting post 14 ina plane passing through both cover portions, with hinges 46 acting as axes. Following movement of the cover portions to the desired FIGURE 2 position, bolt 53 is then reinserted through holes 24 and 'ing or welding mayalso be employed. In cases Where it is necessary to protect these cover portions from removal by vandals, a bolt and lock arrangement, such as 53-5 55, may be used in place of bolt and nut 43-44. Lock washers, cotter pins, or other lock-ing devices may also Similarly, furt other structural features ofthis invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Accordingly, it will be seen that the present invention offers many novel features and advantages. For example, the parking meter itself does not have to be greatly changed or modified to support the present device, a fact of extreme importance in instances where radical changing or modification of the meters may be prohibited by'licensing agreements. In other instances, the owners of the meters are reluctant to permit any attachment to the meters which will permanently change the meters in any way or leave openings or holes in the casing in the event that removal of the present invention is desired.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the simplicity with which a cover'po-rtion bearing information or advertisements may be replaced or changed. As a result, the warning signs or advertisements may be changed at regular intervals if desired without in any way affecting the parking meters themselves.

Another advantage offered by the present invention res-ides in the fact that it is not necessary to open the parking meterin order to attach or detach the cover portions. This is particularly important where the operation of the metersthemselves is under the control and jurisdiction of a part of the city government while the attachment and detachment of the cover portions and the changing of any warning or informational materials may be regulated by a department of traffic control, or by civic or business interest groups in the case of information or advertising displayed when in the storage position.

It is therefore to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the foregoing description and drawings without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, various enclosing frame members could be provided around the movable metal faces to provide a smooth casing portion. Accordingly, the invention is only to be limited to thescope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: V

1. In combination: a parking meter cover, a parking meter having a housing and a coin-receiving slot therein, a support means for supporting said parking meter and said cover, said cover comprising a flat monoplanar cover portion, said cover portion being movable from an inoperative informational and advertising position to'an operative no parking and warning position, first locking means for securing said cover: portion in said inopera- .tive position, second locking means for securing said cover portion in said operative position, said cover portion being hingedly secured to said meter housing support means to allow movement of said cover portion through 180 degrees in a plane perpendicular to a plane passing through said meter housing coin receiving slot to pass from said inoperative position to said operative position for covering and blocking the coin receiving slot and preventing use of the same.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first and second locking means comprise a removable bolt.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said removable bolt'hasa lock receiving opening in one end thereof.

4. The combinationof claim 1 wherein said support means is provided with an opening for receiving said first locking means in said inoperative position.

5. In, combination: a parking meter cover, a parking meter having a housing anda coin-receiving slot therein,.a support means for supporting said parking meter and said cover, said cover comprising a pair of flat monopIanar. cover portions rrlounted parallel to each other on opposite sides of saidpar-king meter, each cover portion having an informational and advertising face and a no parking and warning face, means for hingedly securingsaid cover portions to said support means, first locking means for removably locking said cover portions mor ars and advertising faces, said means for hingedly securing aid cover portions to said support means permitting said cover portions to be turned from said inoperative position to an operative position co-acting with said coin receiving slot and thereby preventing access to the same, and second locking means for removably locking said cover portions in said operative position displaying said no parking and Warning faces.

6. in combination: a parking meter cover, a parking meter having a housing and a coin-receiving slot and a handle means for operating a time indicating device therein, a support means for supporting said parking meter and said cover, said cover comprising a fiat monoplanar cover portion having a handle receiving opening therein, said cover portion being movable from an inoperative informational and advertising position to an operative no parking and Warning position, said handle receiving opening lockingly engaging said handle means in said operative position, first locking means for securing said cover portion in said inoperative position, second locking means for securing said cover portion in said operative position, said cover portion being hingedly secured to said support means to allow movement of said cover portion through 180 degrees in a plane perpendicular to a plane passing through said meter housing coin-receiving slot to pass from said inoperative position to said operative position for covering and blocking the coin-receiving slot and preventing use of the same.

'7. In combination: a parking meter cover, a parking meter having a housing and a coin-receiving slot and a handle means for operating a time indicating device therein, a support means for supporting said parking meter and said cover, said cover comprising a pair of flat monoplanar cover portions mounted parallel to each other on opposite si es of said parking meter, each cover portion having an information and advertisingtface and a no parking and warning face, one of said cover portions having a handle receiving opening therein, means for hingedly securing said cover portions to said support means on opposite sides of said parking meter, first locking means for removably locking said cover portions in an inoperative position displaying said informational and advertising faces, said means for hingedly securing said cover portions to said support means permitting said cover portions to be turned from said inoperative position to an operative position coacting with said coin-receiving slot and thereby preventing access to the same, and second locking means for removably locking said cover portions in aid operative position displaying said no parking and Warning faces, said one cover portion handle receiving opening lockingly engaging said handle means in said operative position.

Reterences titted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Acting Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION: A PARKING METER COVER, A PARKING METER HAVING A HOUSING AND A COIN-RECEIVING SLOT THEREIN, A SUPPORT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID PARKING METER AND SAID COVER, SAID COVER COMPRISING A FLAT MONOPLANAR COVER PORTION, SAID COVER PORTION BEING MOVABLE FROM AN INOPERATIVE INFORMATIONAL AND ADVERTISING POSITION TO AN OPERATIVE "NO PARKING" AND WARNING POSITION, FIRST LOCKING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID COVER PORTION IN SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION, SECOND LOCKING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID COVER PORTION IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION, SAID COVER PORTION BEING HINGEDLY SECURED TO SAID METER HOUSING SUPPORT MEANS TO ALLOW MOVEMENT OF SAID COVER PORTION THROUGH 180* DEGREES IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO A PLANE PASSING THROUGH SAID METER HOUSING COIN RECEIVING SLOT TO PASS FROM SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION TO SAID OPERATIVE POSITION FOR COVERING AND BLOCKING THE COIN RECEIVING SLOT AND PREVENTING USE OF THE SAME. 